COMMENTARY — As Soros University leaves Hungary, so does academic freedom

The Author

Elisa Telesca holds a B.A. in European Studies from Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Originally from Italy, she has studied and worked in France, the UK, the US, and Hong Kong. She has experience in EU Policy Analysis and is passionate about European and global issues concerning human rights, transparency, and freedom of expression. Elisa is fluent in English and Italian, and has a good command of French and German.

On 3 December 2018, Hungary’s Central European University (CEU) declared that it has been forced out from its campus in Budapest by the far-right government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

The decision came after months of attempts by the U.S. government and the EU to pressure Budapest to sign an agreement that would allow the university to remain in Hungary. CEU will no longer be able to accept new students to its U.S.-accredited programs starting from 1 January 2019.[1]

The University was founded and funded by American billionaire George Soros in 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and it aimed to spread principles of democracy and free society, in a bid to build bridges between East and West.[2] It has dual accreditation, in the United States and Hungary, and it is regularly ranked as the top university in Hungary. The CEU has given a chance for students from post-communist countries to gain a U.S. graduate degree. The institution currently has 1,400 students, and it has attracted students from over 110 countries.[3][4]